The congestion and safety concerns related to the school traffic on US 19 have been a concern to the citizens of Pike County, the Pike County Board of Commissioners, the Pike County Board of Education, andthe Georgia Department of Transportation over the past several years. The Pike County Board of Commissioners and the Pike County Board of Education are working collaboratively with the Georgia Department of Transportation toward a solution to provide much needed relief as it relates to safety concerns and congestion on US 19.

The County is in the process of constructing a new drive from Old Meansville Road that will serve as the entrance to the High School that is projected to open this Fall. We will share more on the new traffic plan in the weeks to come as the construction of this drive progesses. Please continue to be patient as we work together to address school traffic concerns.

MONDAY
AROUND 2;45PM NORTH GREEN STREET FROM GORDON TO MAIN
STREET WAS BLOCKED OFF BY THE THOMASTON FIRE DEPARTMENT
AFTER A GAS LEAK NEAR ACE CLEANERS. ACE CLEANERS, THE LAW
OFFICES OF MALLORY AND TRICE AND SOUTH CREST BANK WERE
EVACUATED AS A PRECAUTION.

Friday, August 19, 2016

In the early morning hours of August 16, 2016 a customer leaving a local convenience store was walking back to his vehicle when he was approached by a black male who pointed a handgun at him, demanding money out of his pocket. The victim gave the suspect $120 in cash and then the suspect demanded the victim’s wallet from his front pocket. The victim refused to turn his wallet over to the suspect and the victim successfully obtained the gun from the suspect after a brief altercation. The suspect fled on foot with the victims $120 in US currency. The gun that was used in the armed robbery was in fact a pellet handgun and was turned over to law enforcement by the victim on scene. This incident occurred at Mickey’s Grocery located at 703 Bethel Street in Thomaston Upson County Georgia 30286.

The criminal investigation led to the arrest of Demarcus Jermaine Griggs, 17 years of age from Thomaston who was apprehend at his parents residence located in the Lincoln Park area in Thomaston, GA on August 17, 2016 at 4:00 p.m. Griggs is currently being held without bond at the Upson County Sheriff’s Office Jail and is charged with Armed Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Participation in Criminal Street Gang Activities, and Influencing a witness.

On August 16, 2016 investigators from the Upson County Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation based on information received from the local Department of Family and Children Services. The allegations were that a seven years old female had been molested. Investigators discovered evidence resulting in the arrest of Ronnie Lamarr Blankenship, 58, of 327 Bishop Road, Meansville. These acts occurred between November of 2015 and April of 2016 at a residence in Upson County. Blankenship is charged with two counts of Aggravated Child Molestation. Blankenship is held in the Upson County Jail without bond.

Thursday, August 18, 2016

AN
UPSON COUNTY JURY HAS RETURNED A VERDICT THAT CHRISTOPHER
CALMER—ACCUSED OF THE MURDER OF MONROE COUNTY DEPUTY
MICHAEL NORRIS—IS COMPETENT TO STAND TRIAL.

THE
UPSON COUNTY PANEL DELIBRATED AN HOUR AND 20 MINUTES
THURSDAY MORNING AT THE MONROE COUNTY COURTHOUSE-- BEFORE
DETERMINING THAT CALMER IS MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY FIT TO
STAND TRIAL FOR MURDER NEXT YEAR.

DEFENSE
LAWYERS ARGUED CALMER AGE 48-- SUFFERS FROM BACK AND NECK
PAIN THAT WOULD NOT ALLOW HIM TO ASSIST WITH HIS DEFENSE
IN A MURDER TRIAL.

DURING
THE TRIAL -A STATE OF GA. FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGIST TESTIFIED
SHE BELIEVES CALMER IS COMPETENT TO STAND TRIAL.

CALMER
WHO CUSSED AT THE JUDGE EARLIER IN THE WEEK BECAUSE HE
WOULD NOT ALLOW HIM TO LIE ON A GURNEY---IN THE COURTROOM--
HAD NO REACTION TO THE VERDICT.

DEPUTY
NORRIS AND DEPUTY JEFF WILSON WERE RESPONDING TO A CALL
ABOUT SOMEONE THREATENING SUCIDE IN BOLINGBROKE—WHEN NORRIS
WAS SHOT AND KILLED AND WILSON WAS WOUNDED.

Thursday, August 11, 2016

THE
GUNMAN IN AN ARMED ROBBERY AT THE HANNAH'S MILL CONVIENCE
STORE IN 2014 WAS SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON PLUS 25
YEARS TO SERVE— BY JUDGE MACK CRAWFORD---AFTER A JURY IN
UPSON SUPERIOR COURT RETURNED A GUILTY—ON--ALL--COUNTS
VERDICT—THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

JODI
LEE ELLERBEE, AGE 22 WAS CHARGED WITH ARMED ROBBERY—7
COUNTS OF AGGREVATED ASSAULT AND ONE COUNT OF POSSESSION OF
FIREARM DURING A CRIME.

3
CO-DEFENDANTS WHO WERE SENT TO JAIL FOR THE ROBBERY--
-TESTIFIED FOR THE STATE DURING THE TRIAL.

AFTER
GUILTY PLEAS---DENTRAYEOUS MALONE WAS SENTENCED TO 15
YEARS—10 TO SERVE.

ASSISTANT
DISTRICT ATTORNEY ASHTON FALLIN SAID ---WALKER DROVE THE
GET-A-WAY CAR, SULLIVAN WAS THE LOOK-OUT AND MALONE GOT THE
CASH FROM THE REGISTER—WHILE ELLERBEE HELD THE GUN ON
EVERYONE IN THE STORE.

Monday, August 1, 2016

On July 31st at 1:22 p.m., Deputies responded to the area of HWY 109 and McCard Lake Road, in reference to an overturned vehicle. The vehicle left the roadway and the preliminary investigation has shown an over correction by the driver caused it to leave the opposite side of the road and roll over. The driver was transported to Spalding Regional Hospital with minor injuries and has since been released. The investigation is still on going by Sheriff's Office Traffic Investigators.

ACCORDING
TO THE UPSON COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, A COUPLE FROM
MILNER, GA. WERE ARRESTED FOR SELLING METH AND MARIJUANA
AFTER DEPUTIES AND THE AREA DRUG TASK FORCE EXECUTED A DRUG
BUST AT A MOTEL ON 19 NORTH.

THE
TWO ARRESTED -- 25 YEAR OLD JOSHUA RYAN WINDOM AND 24
YEAR OLD CANDACE MICHELLE MCDOWELL BOTH OF WELDON
ROAD—MILNER—CHARGED WITH SELLLING DRUGS OUT OF THE MOTEL
ROOM—AFTER INVESTIGATORS BROKE THE DOOR OPEN TO THE UNIT.

LAWMEN
FOUND SEVERAL BAGGIES OF METH AND POT, GLASS SMOKING PIPES
AND DIGITAL SCALES.